Malinowski Introduction Argonauts of the Western Pacific

Components:
 Ethnographer (access)
 Informants (Information)  Rapport: 1) Trust
2) Emotional connection
3) Communication
 Location & time
 Methods: 1) Participants observation: immersed, engaged, and care
2) Interviews: -Semi-structured (questions, flow)
-open-ended (give power to the informant)
 Ethics: consent (approval, paper)

Sterk “Field on Prostitution in the Era of AIDS”

Power vs Powerlessness
Working through her privileges (freezing, heat)
Distancing
Being the student “expert” role (stop educating, start listening)
Access:
Preliminary research
 Low-key observations
Asking police, cab drivers, healthcare providers (working with the enemy)
 Incarceration
 Influence
Pimps
 Threats
 Maintaining a professional relationship
Key respondents/ informants
 Gatekeepers (protection) (easily manipulated, “bad” pimp, questioning motives)
AIDs Epidemic:
  Usage of condoms
 Scapegoats
Drug use:
 Coping mechanism (forgetting, energy)
 Distinction (past history)